HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 31
(By Delegates Shelton, Tucker, Boggs and C. White)
Requesting the Commissioner of the Division of Highways to name the
bridge on U.S. Route 19 which crosses the Summersville Lake
the "Hughes Bridge."
Whereas, The crossing of Gauley River south of Summersville has
carried the geographical name designation of "Hughes Ferry Bridge"
for nearly two hundred years, while today U.S. Route 19 crosses the
Summersville Lake in nearly the same location where the original
ferry operated; and
Whereas, The steel and concrete bridge that currently supports
the modern four-lane highway continues to carry the traditional
name of Hughes Bridge; and
Whereas, The geographical location where the current bridge
crosses the Summersville Lake has a rich historic background in
which the name "Hughes" has played a prominent role, namely from
the time Edward Hughes obtained the property around the site, at
which time a ferry site in nearly the same position as the bridge was designated the "Hughes Ferry"; and
Whereas, Since the days of the "Hughes Ferry" many historical
events associated with civil war skirmishes around and about the
ferry site, as well as the existence of ferrymen who were from the
Hughes family and who served in the armed forces of this country
have left the indelible imprint of the tradition of the Hughes
family upon the particular landscape and route where the bridge
crossing the Summersville Lake carrying U.S. Route 19 lies;
therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the commissioner of the West Virginia Division of
Highways is hereby requested to designate that certain bridge
located in Nicholas County and spanning Summersville Lake on U.S.
Route 19, as the "Hughes Bridge"; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the commissioner is requested to have
made and be placed, at either end of the bridge, signs identifying
the bridge as the "Hughes Bridge."